


Society's Square Box

by MistressGalahat



Series: Twelve Days of Stories [8]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 5+1 trope, Established Relationship, Genderfluid Sugawara Koushi, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, Misunderstandings, Practice Matches, Random Assholes - Freeform, They/Them for Suga, Tsukishima cares a little bit, Volley Dorks, society
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-06 11:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8748184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressGalahat/pseuds/MistressGalahat
Summary: Five times Kageyama and Hinata are put in an uncomfortable situation by society.And one time Kageyama and Hinata show exactly what being a power couple means.





	

**Author's Note:**

> On the eighth day of Christmas  
> my true love sent to me:  
> Eight People Misunderstanding

I

 

The classroom was stuffy, a tiny droplet of sweat dripping down from Kageyama’s brow. The windows had been opened, but even so, the oncoming Summer was relentless in its heat and the black uniforms far from helpful.

Hinata hadn’t shown up to school today, as Natsu had been sick and his mother had had to work. There was no practice after classes, so the team shouldn’t be too bothered by Hinata’s decision, but it didn’t mean Kageyama had to like it.

With no redhead to keep his eyes on during classes, time had crawled by in a snail’s pace and Kageyama wished for the lunch break to simply get over with quickly. If he timed his bus right, he might be able to stop by Hinata and practice with him for a few hours before it got too dark.

Kageyama got up from his chair, the sound of the legs scraping against the floor drowned out by the noise and chatter of his classmates. While hunger wasn’t an issue at the moment, he craved fresh air and a moment away from his peers. Their presence didn’t usually bother him, but without Hinata there was no one around to distract him from the discomfort of all the eyes trained on him.

It was much easier being one of the stars from the volleyball team when he wasn’t the  _ only _ star present in the class. Number nine and ten were rarely found without the other, so for Kageyama it made it easier to deal with his sudden spike in popularity. The attention was different from when he had been called King of the Court - that had been an insult - while his number and Hinata’s were codependent.

Even the Nekotama coach had mentioned that the two of them were strong in their own rights, which was fine by Kageyama, but together the two of them were invincible. It was a nice feeling, Kageyama thought, as he trudged up the stairs and opened up the door of the roof entrance. It was nice knowing that someone on the court always had your back.

The sky was remarkably clear with only a few specks of white here and there, he noted. The wind was a soft breeze, cooling him down through his uniform and making his small trek worth the while. Indeed the sun was too bright for him, but hanging around Hinata had increased his tolerance for energetic and dazzling objects, the sun included.

Kageyama threw down his bag, eager to sit down and ponder the best way to keep his tosses going in their upcoming practice match against Idahi. It was his rotten luck that he never made it down before the door sprung open and halted him in his movements.

It was a girl, brown ponytails and hazel eyes lighting up the smile that overtook her face at the sight of Kageyama. He sighed, already regretting his decision of fleeing to the roof, as his only exit was now blocked by what appeared to be a freshman.

“Ah, there you are Kageyama-kun!” Her feet bounced on the hot stone of the roof they were on.

“Hi,” he said in response. If he remembered correctly she was in one of the other first year classes, having transferred recently from another prefecture. For the life of him, Kageyama couldn’t recall her name, even as she waited expectantly for him to say more than a basic greeting.

“Uhm,” she stuttered, one hand fiddling in the pocket of her vest when she seemed to grasp his silence as what it was. “Kageyama-kun, I saw one of your matches when I first came to Karasuno, and I wanted to say that I think you’re really cool!” She was blushing furiously by the end of it, face burning in the sun and head bowed as though averting her eyes to her skirt would make everything around her disappear.

Kageyama scratched the back of his head, wracking his brain for whenever he might have laid eyes on her before. However, if she had only been present at one of their practice matches, it was very well he had never bothered to take notice of her. “Thanks,” he muttered, hand coming down to pick up his discarded bag. There was no reason to try and stay, as the first year made no obvious attempt to leave after her blurb of words.

What would Hinata say in this situation, Kageyama pondered. His orange counterpart had always been better at deflecting the awkwardness that ensued after one of these meetings, and faced with it alone was not helping Kageyama’s nervousness.

“I hope you’ll come to one of our matches again to cheer us on!” There, that sounded about as spirited and polite as Hinata, didn’t it? Kageyama was very much not the best at this, but the genuine smile that appeared on the girl’s lips made him exhale a nervous breath. He had tossed the ball to the right side once more.

“I - I will!” She said, clutching a piece of paper after finally gathering the courage to pull it out of her pocket. “I would like to see more of Kageyama-kun’s tosses!” She didn’t extent the paper to him, but Kageyama had to make sure he didn’t physically take a step back.

It was bright red, shaped like a heart, and had the most careful scrawl of Kanji he had ever laid eyes on, even seen from the few feet separating them from one another. A love letter, he realised with dread. The heat of the sun warming the back of Kageyama’s dark uniform couldn’t stop the chills from snaking their way down his back.

This was one of the things he despised the most. Of course, most people had realised by now that Hinata and he were an actual couple and not just teammates, but this new girl clearly hadn’t payed any attention to the gossip floating around Karasuno. It wasn’t as though they were quiet about it either, as Hinata was by far more expressive than the reserved Kageyama, but people at least  _ knew _ .

He heaved a sigh, knowing just how painful this might turn out to be for the two poor people on the roof. One not knowing how to refuse, and the other clearly not getting the hints laid out so blatantly on the field.

“Kageyama-kun, please accept this as a token of my affection for you!” She finally blurted out the words that would make this rejection sting all the more. Ah, if only he had been faster and nipped it in the bud instead of pondering over why this always seemed to happen to him.

She pushed the letter forward, thrusting it at Kageyama’s chest and letting it go. In an effort not to let it fall to the ground, he had no choice but to reach out and grab it, standing there with a bright red letter in his hands.

The first year looked so happy, even without realising that he had been forced to accept it without a choice. (No way was he just going to let it fall to the ground - he wasn’t Tsukishima).

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this,” he said, shaking his head and extending his hand to give back the piece of paper that had made his entire existence more awkward than he thought possible. “Please accept my apologies.”

She didn’t take the letter back. Instead, she stared at him, mouth half open and a furrowed brow. “Why not?” She inquired, still refusing to accept his apologies and therefore prolonging the inevitable.

Kageyama sighed, straightening his back and pulling his bag over his shoulder. “I’m very sorry, but I can’t. I’m already with someone else.” The moment that her eyes changed from confusion to outrage didn’t exactly scare Kageyama. But it did serve to make him glare at her.

“Why not?” She screeched, hands flying to her cheeks as she blatantly checked him out with her eyes, as if she would never be given the opportunity to see him again. “Just because you have a girlfriend doesn’t mean you have to throw my letter away, Kageyama-kun! When the two of you break up, I can be your shoulder to cry on!”

Okay, that was it, decided Kageyama, crumbling up the letter in his hands and tossing it in the bin beside the girl. “That won’t be necessary,” he grumbled. “My boyfriend and I are quite satisfied with each other at the moment.” The bell rung, signifying the beginning of their next class in just two minutes.

Her eyes bulged out of her skull, hands falling limply to her side as her brain short circuited around his words. Had he been alone, Kageyama might have had the gall to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but he refrained from the urge as he shouldered past the flabbergasted first year and down the stairs again.

Oh well, maybe all this would serve to make him extra stoked to play volleyball with Hinata later in the evening.

 

II

 

To say that Hinata was late would be an understatement. He was so, so very late.

His feet pounded on the pedals, urging his bike to go faster even up the side of the mountain. The effort left him wheezing and out of breath, but he knew he had to pick up the pace. Practice had run late again, and he had promised his mother, explicitly, that he would be home in time to look after Natsu before she left for her evening classes.

Not to mention the wind had picked up and was very successfully slowing down his ascent up the mountain. Practice hadn’t left him too tired, he had his stamina in good condition, but it had also meant doing too many spikes and not keeping an eye on the clock like he should have. (Daichi-san would have understood if he had asked to leave a little earlier, but he got too fired up and forgot all about it!)

At least, thought Hinata as he took another deep breath and pulled it down into his lungs, at least it wasn’t winter. If there had been snow on the road, he knew for sure he wouldn’t be able to make it home in any way, and would have ended up crashing at Suga-san.

As it was, if he pedalled fast enough and the wind helped him down the slopes, he might make it home just in time with some good will and a healthy dose of luck. There were no cars passing him, and it was turning dark already despite the high temperature.

Hinata rode by the shrine that signified he was either twenty minutes from school or ten minutes from home. He zoomed past the flower shop nestled between the busstop and the convenience store. Had he passed the grass field used for soccer by some of those attending Junior High on any other day, he perhaps wouldn’t have become further delayed in getting home to Natsu.

The large spots had been turned on, even though they illuminated only three guys fooling around with a soccer ball. One was bouncing the ball up and down with only one foot, black hair slick with sweat and gel. The other two were eagerly waiting for him to pass the ball and continue whatever game they had going, but the raven kept the ball to himself, words spilling out of his mouth that had Hinata hit his brakes.

“Did you hear about the Karasuno Volleyball team?” Raven man asked his companions. One of the other two, Freckles, nodded eagerly, rushing to scoop the ball off the ground as Raven lost his momentum.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah” said Freckles with a smirk. “Heard they are making some sort of comeback with all of the new first years. Apparently they used to be good, but then they started to suck when they lost their old coach or something.”

“Shame,” said the third guy, glasses perched on his nose. “Not like volleyball will ever make them amount to anything. Soccer is the only true sport out there.” With a well placed kick, Glasses expertly swiped the ball from Freckles who gave a groan in response to the manners of the thief.

Hinata knew that hiding in the shadows while someone discussed his club wasn’t something he had time for, especially with Natsu and his mother waiting back home, but an uncomfortable part of him - the one that made him react purely on instinct and reflexes - told him to stay just a little bit longer. To listen for a while.

“Yeah, heard they lost an important match too. And that their vice captain is some sort of freak,” snorted Raven, making a play for the ball but not getting his timing for the tackle just quite right. Hinata stiffened, joints aching as he did so.

Did they mean Suga-san? Of course they did, Suga-san was the best vice captain Karasuno had ever had, but why would that make him a freak? Hinata dragged his bike closer, still staying in the shadows, but close enough to better hear the uttered words.

“I heard that too,” quipped Freckles, reaching for a towel instead of the ball, taking a swig from a bottle of water. “Genderfluid or something, right? What even is that, like, what does it mean?”

Glasses once again dodged an attempt from Raven, but letting the ball drop to the ground as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was clearly the brains of the group, if Hinata had to make a qualified guess after having observed them for scarcely a minute or two.

“Apparently being genderfluid means that one doesn’t necessarily conform to any one gender at any point in time, and is subjected to change based on their feelings in the given moment.” Glasses explained calmly as he snatched the bottle of water from Freckles. Raven had ducked for the ball again now that it was left without much attention, kicking it into the air repeatedly as he frowned.

“But, like, what’s down there,” laughed Raven, and pointed below the hem of his own shorts. His other friends joined in with the ugly guffaw that made Hinata see red. Glasses choked on some of the water he had been drinking as he too couldn’t stop a snort from escaping him. Raven continued as he realised he had the full attention of his friends. “Is there nothing, or both, or what? How does it even work?”

“It doesn’t matter!” Yelled Hinata, using the pedals of his bike to appear bigger as he leaned over the handlebars and drew closer to the three assholes. “Suga-san is Suga-san! There’s nothing wrong with Suga-san being who they are! They are way more amazing than the lot of you, that’s for sure!” Hinata drew a breath in through his nose, willing himself to calm down and not get off the bike to thrash the three of them. He wouldn’t win, that was for sure, but if it would get them to stop talking smack about someone as cool and awesome as Suga-san, then Hinata was more than okay with it!

“Oh yeah? And who’re you supposed to be, shrimp? Don’t butt in on other’s private conversation.” The one with the gelled, black hair blew a raspberry at Hinata while the other two cronies slapped each other on the back to try and calm their laughing fit. Apparently it was as much fun calling Hinata a shrimp as it was making fun of Suga-san.

If Hinata had had the rainbow heart flag with him - the one Suga-san so proudly had shown one day - he might have been tempted to wave it in someone’s face out of spite.

“Don’t you dare talk like that about Suga-san, you hear me? They are the best vice captain one could wish for!” Hinata blew a hot breath of air from his lips, only now noticing how he had edged closer to the three soccer players until he was in the light of the spots. Like a bridge between them, the group of friends with their feet planted on the grass, and Hinata with his feet barely touching the bare asphalt of the road.

Glasses must have noticed first, since his laughs grew gradually shorter until they stopped entirely, a calculating glare making his brows scoot high on his forehead. “You’re uniform…” he muttered, garnering the attention of his friends. “You’re part of the Karasuno volleyball team, aren’t you?”

Hinata’s eye twitched at Glasses’ guess until he realised that he was still wearing his uniform, and therefore proudly displaying his team spirit. “Yeah, I am. What about it?” These three were getting on his nerves.

Raven gaped at him, ball forgotten. “Really? Ah, what’s it’s like being on team with a freak? Does he ever hit on you?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Questioned Hinata. He was pretty sure Suga-san had never tried to hit on him, and in any case most likely wouldn’t try. One would have to be blind to not notice the way they looked at Daichi-san. “Not like it would matter if they did hit on me…” Hinata shrugged his shoulders, face scowling at the weird questions.

“You wouldn’t be bothered if Sugawara hit on you? You a fag or something?” Raven laughed at his own perceived joke, Freckles too. Glasses remained quiet, eyes calculating and reflected under the light of the spots.

“So what if I am gay?” Exploded Hinata. “My boyfriend sure doesn’t seem to mind it!” Heck, Kageyama was most likely ecstatic about it, to be honest.

“Ew, he’s probably checking us out right now! Quick, Hashi, do something!” Freckles shook Raven until he looked like a pile of jelly on two legs. Hinata knew he should feel bad for wanting the so-called Hashi to puke from the motion, but nevertheless, the thought did cross his mind.

Especially as Raven-Hashi-Asshole#1 quickly threw down the soccer ball in front of his feet, boot lined up to what might constitute as a perfect shot, aimed right at Hinata. “Take that!” Cried Hashi, one fist in the air as the ball sailed towards its target, rotating and fast enough to actually hurt unless Hinata did something.

The resounding slap of boot against ball made Hinata flinch and cringe. There was no way he could dodge that while still being half on his bike. Even his speed wouldn’t be of help. But if you can’t dodge, receive.

Hinata stuck out his arms, just as Nishinoya-senpai had taught him so many times before. He closed his eyes as it connected and was sent back, opening them only when his arms hurt from the force of the ball bouncing off him. Having the ball hit his arms with so much force wasn’t as uncomfortable a sensation and sting as he assumed it would be.

That it was a soccer ball was definitely a different sensation, and it didn’t act like a volleyball did when he received it. Which was why Hinata could only blink as he watched the ball connect smackdab with Glasses’ face.

Hinata threw himself back on his bike, pedalling harder than he had ever done before as he heard the enraged shouts from behind him. On foot, the three of them would never catch up, even if his side did sting from the laughter that bellowed out from the short ginger.

Noya-senpai would have been proud of that recieve, that was for sure.

 

III

 

If anything, the field was a lot more crowded than Kageyama had assumed it would be. The traveling fair had seemed to draw attention from not only the surrounding towns, but even those further away. Kageyama didn’t really understand the appeal, but Hinata had been excited about it since Tanaka had mentioned it last week during practice.

Not like there was any choice letting Hinata go without him.

The smells were perhaps the most enticing, Kageyama thought. The flair of buttered popcorn, the freshly made yakisoba bread and colourful sticks of dango. They had eaten a few of those, shared a bite here and there since it was much easier to carry around, and Hinata’s face had been particularly happy when Kageyama had kissed away the stray piece of dango on his cheek.

Kageyama had blushed wildly afterwards, but in the oppressive crowd, no one had seemed to notice their intimate moment. Except of course Coach Ukai.

“Take it elsewhere, boys, don’t you think you should look at the attractions instead of each other all night.”

Kageyama flinched back and Hinata dropped the empty dango stick, both taking a good few steps back from each other at the sound of their coach’s voice. How Coach Ukai had managed to secure a food stall for the Foothill store would remain a mystery, but his aversion to arguments of any kind in front of his shop had been as much present at the fair as it usually was. (Tanaka and Nishinoya had both been thrown away, physically, from the booth after a vicious declaration of love for Kiyoko-san).

“Sorry, Coach Ukai,” stammered Hinata with a flushed face. Kageyama was tempted to pull him into another lighthearted kiss for looking so adorable, but before he could follow through, the redhead threaded their fingers together and dragged them along. “Ne, Kageyama, what should we try next?”

The question was valid. They had already tried the ferris wheel, and both had agreed not to try their might at the booths with ball games. Asahi-san had been escorted away half an hour prior on suspicion of cheating in regards to his wildly accurate throws. And his appearance, no doubt.

“How about we just see where our feet take us?” Suggested Kageyama, pleased to simply hold his boyfriend’s hand in the growing cold. Not that summer was officially over yet, but the wind had been strangely harsh on the mountain, and the late hour of their outing had him shivering too.

Hinata, on the other hand, always seemed to run hot.

“I would like that.” Hinata gave him a smile that had Kageyama’s stomach do little flips. It wasn’t the same nervousness that Hinata had presented before their first practice match, but it was the kind of nervousness that left him out of breath and incredibly happy.

They were both properly awed by the festive activities happening all around them, Hinata more often than not pointing out something that caught his interest. Kageyama had lost track of time quickly after they got to the fair, but that loss of control wasn’t too annoying when he got to see Hinata so flustered with unadulterated happiness.

“Uhm, excuse me?” Kageyama halted in his stride, the small hand grabbing his pant’s leg not forcefully, but carefully, making him turn around on the spot. It took him a second to throw his eyes further down than he was used to, even hanging around Nishinoya and Hinata, only to stare into the brown eyes of a little kid.

With her wild mop of hair and soft eyes, Kageyama could have been fooled into thinking it might have been Natsu in a clever disguise. By the look on Hinata’s face - that half smirk, half excited tremble in his legs - he must have had the same thought.

“Can we help you?” Asked Hinata, because of course Kageyama was just staring and not saying anything. What was he supposed to do? It wasn’t like he knew the kid or anything.

The little girl blushed, shook her head as if gathering courage, and then stuck out her small hand. “Nice to meet you! I’m Mika!” Hinata crouched down, shaking her hand as he did so. She had to have been the same age as Natsu, or at least very close.

“I’m Hinata, and that’s Kageyama,” he pointed to each of them respectively as he spoke their names, exuding a patience Kageyama rarely got to see when he wasn’t with his little sister. “What are you doing here all by yourself, Mika-chan?” Asked Hinata, staying crouched down to keep their eyes on level with each other.

“‘M not here by myself, my Mum’s here too. But she doesn’t want to try any of the attractions, and I’m not allowed to go alone…” Her voice was quiet, cupping her hands together and leaning in to whisper in Hinata’s ear as though it was a great big secret. Maybe it was, at least to her - Kageyama wouldn’t be the one to knock her off course with that disillusion. “Then I saw the two of you and I thought maybe you would take me on the rollercoaster!”

Hinata ruffled the little girl’s hair, her enthusiasm so very reminiscent of the redhead himself. “But why us, though. I’m sure if you asked your mother real nice, she would take you.”

Mika-chan shook her head viciously, curls going every which way.

“Is has to be you! My sister plays volleyball at Karasuno too, that’s why I’ve seen you before. I saw you play, it was all so cool. You were like _waah_ and _hiyah_ , and he was all like _tt_ and _pow_!” She pointed between Hinata and Kageyama with such an intense expression it cut out a laugh from the redhead. Kageyama blinked. He wasn’t quite sure how any of his tosses made a sound similar to that of ‘pow’ or a ‘tt.’ Whatever either of those meant.

Kageyama heaved a sigh, the tension from his shoulders bleeding out slowly with every second he spent looking between the smiling faces of Hinata and Mika-chan. The two were so reminiscent of one another he couldn’t help but bow down to the girl’s eye level as well. “Then I guess we’ll have to let you join us on a rollercoaster ride.”

It wasn’t a bad experience, not at all, although Kageyama hadn’t been too sure of the proposition as soon as the words had left his mouth. But as Hinata and Mika-chan talked about volleyball while waiting in line, their smiles bright and excited as they eyed the small compartments, Kageyama didn’t regret it.

To have another bouncing person actually made it all the more fun, even if it did cut in on Kageyama’s alone time with Hinata. Seeing the happiness shine in Mika-chan’s eyes while she raised her tiny arms in time with the bump and ridges of the roller coaster was perfect.

Hinata and Kageyama each held one of Mika-chan’s hands as they got out from the roller coaster, only to be stopped by an older woman at the entrance. “There you are, sweetheart. Did you bother these two gentlemen to take you instead of me?”

Mika-chan nodded so hard her entire body bounced. “It was so much fun, Mum! Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun are so cool.” She squeezed their hands, respectively, before letting go and clasping hands with her mother.

The older woman gave them both a smile. “Thank you so much!” She bowed excessively, hair fluttering past her shoulders and framing her face. “You two must be so good friends, letting my little Mika-chan impose on you.”

And there it was, the friend label that always seemed to be passed onto them. Sure, they weren’t overly touchy in public like some where, but they did hold hands and kiss every now and then. Not to mention the obvious closeness in the way they stood shoulder to shoulder, Hinata’s head landing softly on the nape of Kageyama’s neck. How someone could still classify them as ‘close friends’ and not ‘boyfriends’ did serve to make him slightly more hesitant about being around Hinata.

Could people really not see how much he loved him?

“It was no trouble, really,” Hinata assured the mother, interlacing his fingers with Kageyama and making sure that he stood extra close. He always did know whenever Kageyama was upset and how to deal with his fits. “I hope we meet again some day, Mika-chan.”

The two of them waved off the mother and daughter, Mika-chan looking over her shoulder and smiling at them until her little head could crane no more. The mother only gave them a hasty wave back, an embarrassed flush colouring her cheeks and the roots of her hair as she seemed to finally grasp what Kageyama and Hinata were to each other.

“I love you,” Kageyama said as he lowered the hand that Hinata hadn’t laid claim to.

His boyfriend only smiled, standing on his toes to better kiss him on the cheek. “Bakageyama, I love you too.”  
  


IV

 

The light was blinding. Going through so many colours quickly enough to make even Nishinoya’s head spin. Whoever had dragged them to this dance club after their last practice win was going to get hit, repeatedly, the next time they had training.

To be fair, Nishinoya was tired. They were in a city they had never navigated before, Coach Ukai and Take-sensei had abandoned them in favour of drinking sake, and worst of all - Kiyoka-san had already left them behind! Even Tanaka was wallowing the loss beside Nishinoya. That they had won the practice match seemed unimportant with Kiyoko-san’s radiant beauty to amplify it.

Both Suga and Daichi had somehow gotten lost on the way to the dance club, which had left Tanaka and Nishinoya in charge of their rather rambunctious first years. Granted, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima weren’t the exactly hard to keep track of, as they appeared as disinterested as their seniors, but Hinata and Kageyama were revving it up.

If Nishinoya had had to guess, then no, he wouldn’t have believed Kageyama to be a partially skilled dancer. Hinata, on the other hand, with his wild energy and reflexes to move wherever he needed to be, appeared only normal for the orange haired kid to be a natural.

That Hinata and Kageyama were tearing up the dance floor side by side, and both enjoying it, was enough reason for Nishinoya and Tanaka to stay put for a little while longer.

“My, they sure are kicking it up out there, aren’t they?” Tanaka leaned back in his chair, their little round table of four placed in the corner, but well within view of the dance floor. The shaved kid was balancing precariously on wobbling chair legs, but Nishinoya only nodded his agreement.

“Who knew Kageyama had those move in him! Ah, if only he would let me name a few of them…” Nishinoya did admire the way Hinata and Kageyama managed to function in sync with each other both on and off the court. One would barely be able to guess where one of them ended and the other began. Not that they were grinding on each other, the two of them had more decorum than that.

Tanaka laughed, slapping the back of Nishinoya’s chair. “Ahaha, what would you call those moves, Nishinoya? Flying Tiger and Striking Eagle? No, wait, I have it - The One Thousand Lightning Strike!”

Nishinoya laughed with Tanaka, the two of them hunching over the table while clutching their stomachs in an attempt to ease up the beginning cramps. Tsukishima clicked his tongue at their silly antics while Yamaguchi once again tried to calm down his friend and prevent him from leaving too soon. If anything, it would be better to wait for Suga and Daichi to show up before deciding what to do next.

Since their match had ended relatively early, it had been decided that they should explore and have some fun before the last train back. Nishinoya had, however, thought that Coach Ukai and Take-sensei would have decided to spend some more time with their players.

(Oh well, if they were drinking sake again, Nishinoya was silently pleased that they hadn’t shown up. He had only seen pictures from their last escapades, and while he considered himself to be somewhat wild, he had nothing on those two).

“Speaking of weird, is Asahi not back yet?” Nishinoya’s keen eyes scanned the dance floor and the waiter’s area to find his friend. Going to the bathroom was taking an unusually long time. Or maybe time simply seemed to pass slow, since most of their little group had decided to leave the dancing with Kageyama and Hinata.

Yamaguchi pointed a finger in the direction of the bathroom stalls. “Ah, I think he’s on his way.” He said, a tender smile on his lips before he turned his attention back to the small talk he had going with Tsukishima.

Asahi was most definitely stumbling back, girls admiring his stubbly beard and wild appearance as he did so. His shaking hands and stiff steps made Tanaka laugh, and Nishinoya couldn’t help the grin from spreading either. While Asahi was tall and looming, he lacked the confidence of the tiny giants on the team.

“What took you so long, Asahi?” Asked Nishinoya, rotating his chair just enough that he could keep his eyes on Asahi as the man sat down, and the two raving students who were still going at it. Honestly, where did the two of them get their stamina? They were like a pair of robots with solar batteries, functioning only with Hinata acting as the sun.

Asahi gave a nervous chuckle, hand scratching his stubble. “Sorry, sorry, I got a bit held up.” And that was weird behaviour, even for a nervous guy like Asahi. Heck, Tsukishima stopped his conversation with Yamaguchi the moment the first sorry had left Asahi’s mouth.

If the guy who hated practically everyone was paying attention, then yes, something was definitely wrong.

“What’s the matter? Did something happen?” Yamaguchi posed the question, innocent as ever with the palms of his hands keeping his head still, elbows leaning on the table. Tsukishima leaned back, quiet but observant.

Asahi let out a chuckle that quickly died before it had the chance to fully manifest. “Well, I overheard some people make some rather nasty comments about Kageyama and Hinata. It was quite uncomfortable, but I couldn’t make myself tell them off for it, sorry.” He scratched the back of his head and bowed as low as the sitting position would let him.

Tanaka hissed out a throaty noise, already rolling up his sleeves. “Where are they? Let me at ‘em, let me at ‘em!” Yamaguchi was quick to restrain his raging teammate, Asahi trying to talk him down from punching someone’s face.

Nishinoya remained in his seat, quick eyes taking in the playing field he had now been thrust onto. Asahi had exited the bathroom furthest to their right, near the counter for beverages and snacks, and only a small group of people were still huddled up there. Hinata and Kageyama remained oblivious, for once having been caught up in a world with a population of two.

A hand landed on his shoulder as Nishinoya stood up. “Don’t do anything rash,” pleaded Asahi, hairbun coming undone in the warm atmosphere of the dance club. The Libero shrugged it off, giving his teammate a reassuring smile that promised pain to those who defied him.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s the Libero’s duty to be the Guardian of the team. I won’t do anything Suga-san wouldn’t, but don’t tell me not to protect my cute kouhai when presented with a chance to do so.”

He waited for a second or two before Asahi gave a little nod of approval, turning his attention back to restraining Tanaka.

Nishinoya’s feet carried him through the dance club, never straying too far from the wall with his eyes scanning the partially hostile environment. The song had changed to a slower one, which Kageyama and Hinata had adapted to like they had been born for it. Nishinoya had to slap himself on the cheeks as to not let himself be caught up in the amazing teamwork from the two first years.

Oh well, Nishinoya had a defense to play, he could always admire Hinata and Kageyama during their next practice. And straight ahead were his targets, the huddled group laughing and scowling in the direction of Nishinoya’s teammates.

He bend down, fiddling with the shoelace on his shoe. The light was erratic and dark enough that the group didn’t see him while he was down, and once Nishinoya was certain his head was directly under the tray of beverages, he pelted upright.

The group shouted in surprise as their drinks went flying, hitting them on both pants and shirts like a splatter of blood from a wounded enemy. “Sorry, sorry,” said Nishinoya with a thin smile on his face. “You should really watch where you’re going next time, you never know who might be in your way.”

At the next moment, Suga and Daichi wandered in through the doors to the dance club, smiling and laughing. Nishinoya didn’t let them get further in than a few steps, turning his back on the stunned group of prejudiced people, and instead grabbing the captain and vice captain by the wrists. “Time to leave,” he said.

When twin brows rose in confusion, Tanaka and Asahi gave them both strained smiles and shook their heads. Nishinoya dragging them along until they caught the mood he was in and followed without hesitation.

They didn’t need verbal communication to establish that this was somewhere the rest of the team weren’t cool with staying at any longer. Because if there was anything Nishinoya would do when given the chance, it was to protect his cute kouhai from ridiculous people. “Hinata! Kageyama! We’re leaving!”

“H-hai, Noya-senpai!”  
  


V

 

The museum was deliciously cool.

After the brief sting with cold after the fair had visited, summer had apparently decided return with renewed vigour. Practice had been unbearable for the last week, no matter how many windows and doors they opened to the gym. Asahi had been the worst off, with his long hair and larger body generating enough bodily heat that one could boil eggs on his skin.

Nishinoya and Hinata had laughed, unaffected for the most part with their smaller bodies used to several layers of clothing to help regulate their temperature. The teasing had been snuffed out quickly by a disapproving glare from Daichi and a scary smile from Suga-san.

That the first years had been forced to skip practice to head to the museum for a class trip, had however not been taking as kindly. Losing out on extra volleyball time had definitely hit Kageyama and Hinata the hardest, as it had been explicitly announced that no balls of any kind would be allowed on the remainder of the trip. So no sneaking in a few extra tosses and spikes during the mandatory lunch break.

To Hinata, though, he  _ really _ didn’t understand the art museum and the work contained within. Sure, he could appreciate the clean lines and open spaces, as they reminded him of a large gymnasium entirely swathed in greyscale, but the rest… not so much.

“Is that a dead raven mounted to a curtain rod?” It was disturbing imagery, to say the least. There was no blood to be seen, but the head had been clearly cut from the neck and down, feathers plucked from its wings and stuck to the cream coloured curtain like a 3D experience of a textile pattern. How the head was managing to stay stuck was a question Hinata did not want to know the answer to.

Kageyama stopped up next to him, face set in a scowl. “It isn’t going to fly any time soon, that’s for sure.” They both backed away slowly, not appreciating the memory of unflying crows that it brought to mind. In any case, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were further ahead and following the rest of the guided tour like good students.

“Hurry up, idiot, well get lost if we don’t hurry up.” Kageyama grabbed Hinata’s hand, tugging him along while the shorter had to skip in order to keep up. It wasn’t as though, Hinata found the whole exhibition pointless or anything like that, he just couldn’t see the appeal. Volleyball was hands on and yielded results that could be measured and understood from even an outsider’s point of view.

This cold hall of stuffed animals was plain weird, and did not have a message Hinata could read.

“What are you thinking about?” Asked Kageyama, slowing down his speed so that the redhead no longer had to run to keep up with his longer legs. Hinata shook his head, eyes briefly getting caught on the sight of a turtle used as a sofa table and a chair made out of some form of large felidae. (He was glad the Nekotama team wasn’t present).

He squeezed his boyfriend’s hand, the grip warm and nice in the palm of his hand. “Not much. Just thinking about how little I understand about all of this.” He didn’t have to gesture about what ‘all of this’ meant to him.

Kageyama’s quick eyes scanned the entire room, as far as he could see, and then gave his own little nod of creeped out agreement. “Yeah. It’s definitely strange - I don’t really get any of it either.”

By the time they had caught up with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, other guests had started to join the pack of the guided tour. An elderly couple a few places over caught Hinata’s attention, as he managed to see the woman send a sneaky look their way.

“Oh my, look at those two, isn’t it cute?” The woman tugged her husband on his arm, the beige jacket crinkling at her grip as she cocked her head in the direction of Kageyama and Hinata.

The redhead gulped, wondering for a second whether or not she was being sarcastic or completely honest. Her voice hadn’t held any malice, but more often than not it was the older generation who had a problem with the two of them going out. That this woman understood the nature of their relationship so quickly,  _ and _ pointed it out to her husband with cheer in her voice nearly knocked Hinata off of his feet.

It was most certainly an unprecedented matter, as far as he could recall.

Kageyama held his hand a little tighter, head tilted slightly to the left as if it would let him overhear the private conversation a bit better. Hinata took a step closer to his taller counterpart, relishing in the warmth it provided him.

“Isn’t it nice, dear, the younger generation are so nice now a’ days.” The elderly woman croaked. Her husband grunted an affirmative, eyes not bothering to even skim at their general direction, but the wife appeared unperturbed by the lack of enthusiasm. “Look at them,” she continued with a smile.

She was for sure a kind woman, Hinata thought, to have that sort of outlook on the world in her old age. It was one of those things that made him feel so much better about the state of the planet.

“My, for an older boy to hold the hand of a scared underclassmen, isn’t that something in this day and age. And here I figured chivalry had died before your generation.” She slapped her husband harder on the arm this time, but it didn’t stop neither Hinata nor Kageyama from halting in their path.

He couldn’t believe this. Did he really look so young that they would purposefully mistake the practically non-existent age difference between the two of them? Was it that hard to realise they were  _ dating _ … 

Tsukishima sniggered behind a hand, headphones around his neck getting jostled by the motion. Yamaguchi snorted out a brief bout of laughter alongside his friend, making Hinata blush crimson, and for Kageyama to grab his hand even tighter than it already was.

They couldn’t exactly blame the elderly couple for misinterpreting the situation, but it was as annoying a misunderstanding as it usually was. “Robbing the cradle now, King-sama?” Tsukishima blocked the words behind his hand, as if it would stop the noise from travelling any further than Yamaguchi, but even with the mutterings of the tour guide, it rang loud and clear.

Kageyama scowled, a dangerous glower directed at their two other first year teammates, and for once Hinata felt the same anger curling in his chest. Tsukishima noticed first, if his careful blink was anything to after. If there had been a volleyball in the present vicinity, it would have been tossed and spiked in the manner of their freak quicks, directed at the sniggering first years.

Tsukishima stifled his laughter and took his best friend by the neck of his jacket, pushed him in front of himself. “Come on, Yamaguchi, I heard they cut up a cow and stuffed it in glass panels.”

“Wait, are you for real Tsukki? I - I don’t wanna look at that, it sounds scary!”  
  


\+ I

 

“It’s finally time!” Cried Hinata, shrugging into his shirt and jumping in excitement. There was little space to wriggle around, given just how many people were trying to change in the small club room.

“Oi, Dumbass, calm down!” Kageyama tapped the redhead and tried to physically squeeze down the energy that was leaking, albeit to no immediate effect. Tanaka and Nishinoya were equally as loud, both whipping around their shirts and revving each other up.

Asahi had retreated to the corner in hopes of not pissing off Daichi before their practice match against Idahi, and Suga too, appeared to be done with the hype for the day. “Settle down,” they said with a kind smile. “Or I will make Daichi-san and Coach Ukai let the team do nothing but diving drills for the entirety of our next practice.” Suga gave a cute little huff of air.

Tanaka put on his shirt and Nishinoya bolted out of the door before he could make certain he had even put on his shorts.

“You always know what to say to them, Suga-san.” Yamaguchi was shrugging out of his own school uniform, relishing in the quiet that followed Suga’s gentle threat.

Suga skipped halfway out of the door themselves, throwing a peace sign back at the remaining team members still gathered in the club room. “What can I say - I suppose people know that I’m not kidding.” They smacked the door with a rattle, and Asahi jumped in fright.

Hinata shivered. “Suga-san is scary…” He tied his shoes, noting that Kageyama was already done, but had merely chosen to wait for his boyfriend to finish up as well. Not to be outdone, Hinata sprinted out and gave a yell. “Last one to the gym buys pork buns after the game!”

Kageyama ran like he had been bitten by a demon dog and it was still on his heels. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi sighed in tandem while Asahi tiptoed out. There was no reason to hurry, really. It was either Daichi-san or Coach Ukai who ended up paying for their food anyway.

Yamaguchi turned to his friend. “Tsukki, we should go too, or we’ll be late for warm up.” The blonde only grunted and grabbed a bottle of water. Yamaguchi followed a step behind, not bothered by the lack of a verbal response.

The bus with the other students pulled up as they passed the parking lot, or so Tsukishima figured. There were no other practice matches that day, for any of the clubs from Karasuno. A little drizzle of rain was all that was there to greet their opponents.

“They look scary, Tsukki…” Yamaguchi took a step closer to his friend, water bottle held tightly in his hands. They were large, yes, both in width and in stature, but it was nothing they hadn’t faced before. Except while Haiba Lev and that guy, Aone, from Dateko were incredibly tall, neither of them wore such grim and unfriendly expressions as these people.

One of the tallest guys stepped forward, shoes squeaking on the asphalt as he approached Tsukishima and a cowering Yamaguchi. “Is this the place with the Karasuno Volleyball Team?” Even his voice was rough. If Tsukishima didn’t know any better, he would have guessed the guy smoked at least a pack a day to get that sort of gritty vocal cords.

“Yeah,” said Tsukishima instead, turning his back on the huddled mass of people. “This way.” Yamaguchi was shivering beside him, but he paid it no mind. The freckled boy tended to grow nervous at just about everything. With the King and his Queen on the court, they were unlikely to lose.

Idahi wasn’t known to be a powerhouse, as far as he was aware, and even if they were, Tsukishima was reluctant to back down from a silently issued challenge as this. The tension sparked in the air, tickling the hair on the back of his neck until a cold shiver raked down his spine with paper thin claws.

Yamaguchi was most definitely aware of the blonde’s dislike of this team. It, however, grew immensely as he opened one ear to the chatter going on in the back of the troupe. “Yeah, I heard some of their players are gay. Seriously, can’t they get more pathetic? Can’t even play volleyball properly, but then again, it makes sense if they’re too focused on each other to keep an eye on the ball, I guess. Gonna’ be an easy win for us.”

Tsukishima’s grip on the water bottle grew to an explosive force. “Yama, go find us some onlookers from school that can cheer the team on.” His friend didn’t question the weird request, but he did quirk an eyebrow. It was as much an out for Yamaguchi to flee the less than stellar conversation, as it was to set up a way for him to completely humiliate this team of incompetent idiots.

Kageyama and Hinata were his to snark and make fun of. Hell if he would let someone else get away with it.

Tsukishima opened the door and entered the gym to the smell of sweat and damp air. They exchanged greetings, as any proper team should do, and when Daichi asked about Yamaguchi, the blonde gave only a vague tale.

Daichi let it rest, no doubt picking up on the incessant chatter echoing in the corners of their gymnasium. “Fine,” he said with a tiny nod of his head, eyes lingering on Kageyama and Hinata who were caught up in their warmup to notice what was happening around them. “Don’t let those two hear it. I want them concentrated and ready to smack some sense into these people. Keep them occupied - annoy them if you have to, but don’t throw them off their game. That’s an order from your Captain, Tsukishima, I trust you’ll follow my orders.”

He might not enjoy being in Kageyama and Hinata’s company, it was infinitely better than having those two distracted and slightly out of commission. So he grunted an acceptance of his mission at the same time the doors were flung open and several students wandered in.

Yamaguchi led the entourage and directed them to the upper levels with a smile and a helping hand from Kiyoko. Coach Ukai was neither blind nor deaf, and while he refrained from making a direct comment to the other team, Tsukishima did catch the little nod and thumbs up in his direction.

Takeda-sensei frowned too at the unexpected development. “I’m sorry, if I had known the other school would be so narrow minded, I wouldn’t have invited them for a practice match.” He said, bowing to both Daichi and Coach Ukai. His glasses nearly fell off the bridge of his nose.

Ukai scratched his stubble, fingers twitching as if yearning for a cigarette. “It’s not your fault. We’ve simply gotta show these people how it’s done. Nothing says that better than a good smack down by the two players they’ve been trash talking.”

Tsukishima couldn’t agree more.

Takeda-sensei twitched in his seat as the last of the drills got a run through, and Tsukishima barely noticed him whispering in Kiyoko’s ear until they both got up and disappeared from their usual seats. Ukai kept an eye on his own strategy board, far from worried, and instead wearing a pleased smirk.

They hadn’t displayed their banner at a practice match before, but as it was rolled out and the students on the upper levels roared with excitement, Tsukishima felt a droplet of sweat run from his brow and down his chin. This was the sort of thing that got Kageyama and Hinata extra pumped, even if the raven had a harder time showing it than his boyfriend did.

Hinata was practically jumping on the moon, Tanaka and Nishinoya just as excited at the unusually large turn up for a practice match on their home turf. It wasn’t unprecedented, but it was a rare enough occurrence to not let it be expected and become complacent.

His fingers were twitching with excitement too, no matter how little Tsukishima wanted to believe it.

“Do your best! Good luck! Show them we still fly!” The crowd was fired up, and more than a few of them were undoubtedly close friends of Hinata’s, if their vigorous roars at the redhead were any indication. Tsukishima had little idea of what Yamaguchi must have told them in order to come, but he figured it was the pure truth.

Yamaguchi never was good at lying.

The guys from Idahi might be tall and imposing, but they cowered under the sheer pressure and support from the students of Karasuno. Of the calmness that weaved through the black and orange team like a calm stream. Ukai had the nerve to give a faint wave at the opposing team’s trainer - all in good spirits, of course.

Because if there was one thing Karasuno had that Idahi didn’t it was the power couple of number nine and number ten. They were ferocious on the court, partners and familiars. And off it, the two were sickeningly sweet even in the face of those who would otherwise have opposed them. Never took to violence, as far as Tsukishima was aware.

Instead, they pelted down a hailstorm of quicks and perfect tosses until Idahi were spinning around in circles. Confused, reproached and with no chance of winning against the power couple of Karasuno.

And if Tsukishima hit the opposing libero dead on with no chance for him to receive the shot, then no one would be the wiser. Honestly, the guy could just learn to receive properly, even Hinata did it better than that weakling.

In the end, Karasuno won the practice match against Idahi. All of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Gah, I wrote this having barely watched the first season, although I have watched all three by now, so I'm a bit iffy about how it came out. Tsukishima highjacked that last one, I swear. And if you have the time, do yourself a favour and search for Swagyama Tobiyolo on YouTube. It made my day.


End file.
